Strange and Beautiful
by Falconfire
Summary: [Oneshot] [NejiTen] Two friends are brought closer together by memories and slightly...odd circumstances.


A NejiTen song Fanfic…

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. And, I don't own Strange & Beautiful. Aqualung does.

* * *

**Strange and Beautiful…But More Strange**

--

After Team 13's training session on a lovely spring day…

"Tenten! What is that youthful blue square box that you are holding, and why does it have little lines attached that are sticking out of your ears?" Lee gaped at the tiny nano Tenten held in her hand.

The addressed girl rolled her eyes. "Lee, they're called earphones. This is an iPod. It plays music. Wanna listen?" She held out one of the earphones to her green clad friend.

"Why Tenten! I have never heard such a youthful and beautiful song! We must share this revelation with our other teammate!"

At this, Lee shouted, "NEJI! WHERE ARE YOU? YOU MUST HEAR THIS SONG THAT TENTEN HAS! IT IS THE TRUE ESSENCE OF OUR YOUTHFUL LIVES!"

Neji was sitting two feet away from him.

Two seconds, five tree stumps, 11 shuriken, and one battered Lee later, Neji was standing beside Tenten, listening intently.

_To me, you're strange and you're beautiful,  
You'd be so perfect with me but you just can't see,  
You turn every head but you don't see me…_

'_Interesting…'_ He thought. Without a word, the Hyuuga prodigy turned and walked away, leaving Tenten to call a medic for the reincarnated Green Beast of Konoha.

Tenten just stared at is back, wondering what caused him to suddenly leave. '_Ah, well. It's Neji. Cold, silent Neji.'_ She jogged off to the hospital.

--

That night, at the Hyuuga mansion…

Neji had found that song on the Internet. It was titled "Strange & Beautiful" by some guy named Aqualung. As he listened to the entirety of it, he realized that he liked this song. Yes, it was a good song. He pressed repeat. Again. And again.

Picking up the mouse again, he searched for the lyrics. As he slowly read them, they gave him pleasant chills down his spine. His thoughts kept on turning back to a girl on his team. She seemed to have normal hormones, but he couldn't imagine the fiercely independent, wild tomboy listening to something so…lovey-ish.

As he listened to the addicting song once more, Neji felt himself being pulled into the past.

--

A little Tenten threw kunais at a distant target while two pearly eyes peered out from between the trees. '_She's good.'  
_

_I've been watching your world from afar,  
_

From then on, he would observe her during her weapons practice, hidden in the foliage. He was ignorant of the fact that she knew he was there.

_I've been trying to be where you are,_

He'd watched as she grew tall, beautiful, and strong. The older she became, the more free she seemed, spreading her wings and not giving a damn what anyone else thought of her. He gradually began to accept the fact that he needed someone like that in his life. She became his symbol of stubborn ignorance.

_And I've been secretly falling apart,  
I'll see._

He'd silently wished he could be like that, without a tragic past to tie him down.

--

Neji smiled, his mind back in the present, as his favorite part came up.

_To me, you're strange and you're beautiful,_

He never figured out quite why she consistently trained with him, rain or shine, no matter how exhausted she was, or why she dutifully shifts to cover his blind spot without him asking, every battle, even at the first.

Tenten – independent, loyal, and as unpredictable as the sea. She was not stunning in the classical sense, but there was an aura of feral magnificence about her that could not be overlooked. Neji tried to imagine a world without her. He couldn't.

_You'd be so perfect with me but you just can't see,_

Love. He couldn't picture Tenten, who seemed to soar above the rest of the world, forming such a strong bond with anyone on this mortal earth. Unless…

A stain of pink invaded Neji's pale face as he realized that the only person he could picture her with was…him.

Would they be 'perfect'?

He shook his head and pinched himself to clear away the distracting thoughts.

Besides, she'd never fall in love. Such an emotion would limit her, wall her in. He knew her well enough to say that she wouldn't want that. Someone so full of untamed beauty as her should always be free to fly.

Moreover, marrying into the Hyuuga family would probably be locking her into the smallest cage of them all.

_'Wooooah. Thinking way too far ahead now, aren't we?_' Neji pinched himself again.

_You turn every head but you don't see me._

He smiled bitterly. He knew she wouldn't see him as more than a training partner. He was hardly interesting and spontaneous enough to catch her attention. Maybe Naruto…?

Sighing quietly, the Hyuuga closed his eerie eyes and decided that that had been enough painful thinking for the day, and plopped into his bed, letting the remaining melodies wash over him.

_I'll put a spell on you,  
You'll fall asleep and I'll put a spell on you._

Within moments, he was out cold.

_And when I wake you,  
I'll be the first thing you see…_

The next morning at Tenten's house, she woke up with a throbbing headache, as if she had been thinking hard. She shook her head wearily to clear it. Odd, she didn't usually wake with headaches. Besides, she had been training extensively yesterday. She should've felt sore.

She rubbed her temples. Oh well. It was persistent, but small. She went about her usual way.

_…And you'll realize that you love me._

--

_I'll put a spell on you…_

Neji woke early that morning as well, but could barely move for the pain in his arms.

"Ow." He stared at the ceiling. Funny, he hadn't trained that hard these past few days.

After dragging himself out of bed and dressing, he half-fell down the stairs.

--

As Tenten jogged toward the training ground, her iPod played her (now infamous – it had nearly gotten Lee decapitated) favorite tune back to her. She hummed along, trying to ignore the migraine in her mind.

The training ground looked deserted. Tenten was used to being early. As she took out a few kunai, her thoughts drifted to what the song urged her to ponder – her lilac-white eyed teammate.

_I've been watching your world from afar,_

He was so distant, so quiet…so strange, an intangible person who was beautiful in the way that…that winter was beautiful. She didn't know how to describe it.

_I've been trying to be where you are,_

She did know that she couldn't help but feel curiously intrigued by him, attracted, the way we are all attracted to the unknown, to things we cannot comprehend.

_And I've been secretly falling apart,  
I'll see._

Maybe it was because he was always there. He didn't vanish from her life right after he came into it, unlike…unlike her parents. Or maybe it was because he was powerful, but arrogant, and both of these things gave her an incentive to train harder, if only to reach an impossible goal of beating him.

He made her want to keep on fighting – to keep going on when living seemed to have lost all reason.

_To me, you're strange and you're beautiful,_

She often compared him to a far-off star. It was of another universe, untouchable, but consistently there, as a guide, a goal, a pillar to depend on. It was ethereal and overflowing with frozen splendor.

_You'd be so perfect with me but you just can't see,_

_You turn every head but you don't see me._

Yes, sadly, she knew it was true. He would never really see her for who she was, because who she was inside was nothing but another human, insignificant enough to be overlooked. She was no genius, and she was no beauty.

A little spurt of anger came out of this realization. The targets didn't stand a chance as she rained down her skill and resentment upon them.

--

Exactly fifty-two shuriken, eleven kunai and eight senbon later, Tenten realized two things: one, she was out of weapons, and two, training would not stop the headache.

_You'll fall asleep and I'll put a spell on you…_

--

At precisely the same time, Neji, who could barely control his aching body, waddled awkwardly down to where Tenten now sat, sulking. He plopped down beside her and closed his eyes.

_And when I wake you,  
I'll be the first thing you see…_

Tenten looked down at him, "You okay?"

"………….."

"No, really. You look dead."

He opened an eye and peeked up at her silently.

She stared him down.

Giving up, he sighed, "I woke up today with a completely unexplainably sore body. It hurts. A lot."

_'Great. Now she'll think I'm some weirdo.'_

She looked at him funnily. "That's odd. Today, I woke up with a huge headache."

Now both white-eyes were looking intently at Tenten. Chocolate brown glared back. Gradually, they both realized that this couldn't be some random coincidence.

_Wait a sec…_

"Were you thinking about something exasperating yesterday?" "Were you training by yourself yesterday?" They both blurted out.

"Oh, crap." Tenten muttered, her hand on her forehead.

Then, as if they were both struck by some sudden revelation, they turned toward each other again.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She asked, eyes gleaming.

He just smirked and nodded.

"Okay then."

Tenten stood up, walked over to Neji, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him full on the lips.

"…….."

"…………………….."

"That wasn't quite what I was thinking."

"It got rid of the headache. Close enough."

_…And you'll realize that you love me._

**Owari**_  
_

_

* * *

_

Wheeeee! Like it? Think it's completely weird? Well, review anyway. Neji and Tenten are forever. I've got a good idea for another NejiTen fic. It'll be funny. Tell me if you guys want another one.

-becomes chibi-

Now, ewerybody, me have Neji-kun here, wis no weapons. If ya wansta glomp, review!

**Tied up Neji:** Nooooooooooooooooooooo!


End file.
